by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
It’s no secret that the whodunnit is a genre that will continue to attract audiences for many years to come. Something about the sound knowledge that an answer, no matter what kind, will come at the end of the runtime, often in a way that is intelligent and exciting to witness, has drawn people for as long as media has been used to entertain.
The problem with this fact, however, is that it’s often hard to find an original spin that doesn’t stray way too far away from the original point, or just end up seeming like a rehash.
The Thursday Murder Club is a new entrant into this race, taking murder, mystery, and intrigue, and adding an element of whimsy, comfort, and wisdom as well. Starring acting heavyweights such as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, and David Tennant, this Richard Osman novel adaptation follows a club of retirees who likes to spend their time solving cold cases as a way to exercise their wits. However, their fun activity takes a serious turn when a modern murder takes place in their own backyard, and they might be the only ones equipped to solve it.
From the outset, this is a stacked cast, which may inspire an element of faith from audiences. With multiple Oscar winners, and just general treasures of British motion pictures, one would hope that no matter what, the performances lead this film into being watchable. And this is the case. The best part of this film, by far, is its cast. Perfectly depicting all the different, slightly strange yet oddly charming, characters throughout these series of events, it’s a pleasure to watch everyone work on screen. From the adventures of our core four, to the dastardly dealings of Tennant and Tom Ellis, to the bumbling investigating of police team, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays, there’s certainly a chemistry amongst the group that makes the film enjoyable to watch, even not taking the central mystery into account.
Speaking of which, this is certainly unique in the murder mystery genre due to its “cozy” nature. It may be strange to pair the words “murder” with “cosy” — however, audiences have certainly been finding their satisfactions filled by these procedural type stories, so taking an even lighter air may be just in line with what people are wanting. This could be a response to the general state of things at the moment, where a delightful story about killing is seen as a respite from the real world, but it also can’t be denied that its outright British-ness would have a part to play here.
From overly polite conversation, to not-quite-evil villains, this movie is more interested in inviting the viewer into a world of temporary chaos, rather than focusing on the drama at its center. It’s no surprise, then, that family film specialist, Chris Columbus is also the one at the helm here, bringing his specific taste of playfulness to the story.
Something else that can’t be ignored, however, is the story’s base material. A multi-list bestseller, the novel is the first in a series that follows our Murder Club as they investigate dastardly crimes in their area. So it’s probable that Netflix greenlit this first one hoping to create yet another series of successful classic whodunnit stories to appease their masses. However, as an adaptation it does tend to stray from its U.K. roots, and more towards the classic Hollywood fare. The twists are a little more traditional, the characters a little more serious, and the exposition is a little more — or a lot more, really — obvious.
This is always a danger when a book that is mostly made up of inner musings and monologues is adapted to a visual medium, but there are quite a few times where it’s clear the filmmaking team decided to brush away all chance of subtlety in order to smack its audience in the face with the obvious answers time and time again. Especially when dealing with a story that has a mystery at its center, this can be quite unsatisfactory. Add to that the fact that a couple of plot threads whose stories gave depth to the emotional heart of the film were dramatically changed from the novel, or completely left on the cutting room floor, and there is unfortunately a sense of disappointment if one enters this viewing experience with the original fresh in their minds.
Though, not just taking all that into consideration, the movie as a whole is enjoyable enough, with potential to possibly sway Netflix into ordering the rest of the series adapted. Its overly obvious tone might be a bit tiresome for those who are particular fans of murder mysteries, but if someone is sitting down for easy watching on a weekend night with their family, this could be just the thing to serve all interests, without dramatically offending anyone in the process.
The Thursday Murder Club is sweet and quaint, and while kind of unspectacular in its execution, it’s perfectly acceptable at the same time. It might not be quite what fans of the novel are wanting, but it has just enough charm to keep most anyone interested throughout the two-hour runtime.
Rating: Liked It
The Thursday Murder Club is currently streaming on Netflix
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